Method of and apparatus for producing glass containers



p 1933- c. B. GARWOOD METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING GLASS CONTAINERS Filed June 17, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Sept. 12, 1933 UNETED STATES reunion or AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING crass CONTAINERS Charles E. Garwood, Linthioum Heights, Md, as-

Signor'to Carr-Lowrey Glass Company, Baltimore, Md.

Application June 17, 1931.

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for forming glass bottles and similar containers and has for its object, primarily, the elimination of the interior raised portions of the bottom and walls of a bottle or the like which generally are produced when angular bottles are blown, these portions creating an objectionable waved appearance and at the same time occupying spaces which should be filled with the material contained in the bottles.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a means for engaginga blank while being transferred from a blank mould to a finishing mould, thereby to set up an intermediate action which will result in the elimination of the objectionable thicknesses during the final shaping of the container.

Under the practice generally followed at the present time a gather is given a preliminary shape in a blank mould and the blank thus pro duced is transferred to a finishing mould where it is subjected to the action of a pulT of air which completes the shaping of the container. If the container is to be oblong, for example, the blank will be delivered into an oblong cavity in the finishing mould. Thus when air is blown into the blank, the glass will be unevenly distributed towards the corners of the cavity, the drawing action set up serving to leave humps of glass adjacent to the centers of the surfaces of the cavity. The present invention has for an object the preliminary shaping of a'portion of the blank after it leaves the blank mould and before it is finally blown, this preliminary shaping serving to displace portions of the blank in such directions as to eliminate or greatly reduce the drawing action toward the corners of the finishing mould. Consequently the resultant finished container will be practically free from the interior humps heretofore produced and, instead, will be provided with walls of'substantially uniform thickness.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds the invention resides in certain novel steps of the method and certain combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the several steps of the method and an apparatus for carrying out the method have been illustrated.

Serial No; 545,103

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view showing in diagram 2. blank mould, a transfer device, a finishing mould, and an intermediate shaping element, all of which can constitute parts of automatic bottle ma chines of various types now in use.

Figure 2 a vertical section. through the-intermediate shaping element.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section through a portion thereof. I

Figure 4 is a section through a blank prior to being acted on by the intermediate shaping element.

Figure 5 is a similar view showing the blank engaged by said intermediate shaping element.

Figure 6 is a section on line 66, Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a section on line 7-7, Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal section through the bottom portion of an oblong bottle produced by the method herein described.

Figure 9 is a section on line 9-9, Figure 8.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a blank mould of an automatic bottle blowing machine of any desired construction. A transfer device has been indicated generally at 2 and, inthe present instance carries a neck ring 3 whereby, when the blank mould is opened the blank can be conveyed and deposited within a finishing mould l. The construction and operation of these parts consti tutes no part of the present invention and it is to be understood that the transfer can be effected in any manner desired and by any suitable means. It is merely essential that the blankbe carried across a space where it can be acted on by the intermediate shaping element comprising a portion of the present invention.

As illustrated in Figure 2 the shaping element can include a plate 5 having upwardly diverging flanges 6 and, if preferred, the ends of the plate can be upturned as at '7. Y

Plate 5 is suitably connected to the upper end of a rod 8 having a longitudinal groove 9. This groove is adapted to receive a key 10 carried by one head 11 of a cylinder 12. The other head of the cylinder, shown at 13, has a tubular stem 14 slidably mounted therein, this stem extendingfrom a piston 15 slidable in cylinder 12. A spring 16 bears on the piston and against head 11. Rod 8 extends through stem 14 and one end of the stem is split at 1'7, tapered and screwthreaded at 18, and engaged by a nut 19. A stop collar 20 is adjustably mounted on the stem and held by a set screw 21 or the like.

A packing gland 22 can be carried by head 13 e bid for preventing leakage of air under pressure along stem 14. t can also serve as a means cooperating with stop 20 for limiting th movement of the piston and its stem in one direction.

A pipe 23 opens through head 13 and has a valve 24 whereby air under pressure can be admitted to the cylinder under control. This valve can be operated automatically or by hand and can be so constructed that when in one position, fluid will be admitted to the cylinder and, when in another position, fluid can be exhausted from the cylinder. The particular construction of the valve constitutes no part of this invention.

The shaping element illustrated in Figure 2 is adapted to be located at a point where it can act on the blank B as it from the blank mould l to the finishing mould 4. The rod 8 is adjusted within stem 141 so plate 5 will be positioned where it will move properly into engagement with the bottom end of the blank when piston 15 makes one complete stroke in one rection. In other words after the blank has'been brought from position a in Figure l to position b in said figure, pressure of fluid can be applied to the bottom of piston 15 by actuating valve 24. The piston will then be moved against the action of its spring is, carrying'withit stem 14, rod 8 and plate 5 and causing the plate to push against the blank.

of the blank will be'so shaped that when it is placed in an oblong cavity in a finishing mould 4, the glass will not be subjected to the excessive drawing action that would otherwise be present.

Immediately following the shaping of the blank at position b, the plate 5 is withdrawn from the blankl following release-of fluid under pressure from beneath piston 15. The blank is then conveyed to position 0 wh re it is vdeposited in the finishing mould. Here it is subjected to the final blowing action and as the elongated bottom extends close to the widely separated walls of the cavity it will be obvious that the metal will be caused to flow promptly into the corner portions without setting up a drag tending to thin out the adjacent walls of the container'and produce inwardly extending humps. Consequently, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the bottom (2, ends e and sides 1 of a bottle or other-finished container will be substantially of uniform thickness.

For the purpose of adapting theshaping ele' 'ment to blanks of different'lengths for bottles its upward stroke it will be brought properly'into' engagement with the blank. By loosening nut '19 the split end of stem 14 will be released from rod 8 to permit adjustment and by tightening the nut on the tapered end 18 the stem can be caused to bind upon and actuate the rod.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a blank mould, a finishing mould, and means for transferring a blank from the blank mould to the finishing mould, of means separate from the molds and positioned therebetween for exerting external pressure against the bottom of the blank to elongate the blank after it has left the blank mold and before it has reached the finishing mold.

2. The combination with a blank mould, a finishing mould, and means fortransferring a blank from the blank mould to the finishing mould, of means separate from the molds and located therebetween for embracing the free end of the blank while being transferred to reduce the thickness of said end of the blank in one direction and elongate said end transversely in another direction.

3. The combination with a blank mould, a fin-- ishing mould, and means for transferring a blank from the blank mould to the finishing mould, of means separate from. the moulds and located there-between for embracing the free end of the blank while being transferred to reduce the thickness of said end of the blank in one direction and elongate end transversely in other direction, said means including a shaping element for receiving no end of the blank, pres-- sure operative means for moving said element toward the blank, and for returning said element to its initial position.

4. The combination with a blank mould, a finishing mould, and means for transferring a blank from the blank mould to the finishing mould,of means for engaging the blank while being transferred to reduce the thickness of one end of the blank in one direction and elongate said end in another direction, said means including a shaping element, a pressure operative piston, an adjustable connection between said element and the piston, and yielding means for holding said element and piston normally in predetermined positions. a

5. The method of eliminating interior humps from the surfaces of glass containers which includes the step of transferring a freely suspended blank from a blank mold to a finishing mold and the further step of lifting the free bottom portion of the suspended blank after it has left the blank mould and before it reaches the finishing mould, thereby to spread said portion beyond the remainderof the blank in the direction of the greatest transverse dimension of the finished container;

CHARLES B. GARWOOD; 

